


All In

by writerindisguise



Category: The Society (TV 2019)
Genre: Campbell is though, Canon Gay Relationship, Deaf Character, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Grizzam, Lexie's not evil, M/M, Ok maybe it hurts for a minute, Post-Season/Series 01, Supportive Becca, Supportive Luke, dumb boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2020-03-09 09:59:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18914680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writerindisguise/pseuds/writerindisguise
Summary: Becca knew Sam meant it when he said he wasn't leaving, but that doesn't mean he seems all that happy about staying.Aka: Sam wants to tell Grizz the truth about the baby, and Becca wants to know why.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first time writing a fic for this fandom. I just binged it in a day. Have plans for a possible second chapter, but not for certain yet. It can stand alone with just one chapter either way.

_I’m sick of being in this fucking hospital bed,_ Becca signed, barely raising her head to look at Sam. He only grimaced at her discomfort, and she rolled her eyes, letting her head fall back to the pillow. She let out a heavy breath, head turning to where Sam was still holding Eden, now sleeping soundly in his arms. 

_Not much longer,_ Sam signed, his movements careful and slow to avoid waking Eden. 

_Easy for you to say. You can leave whenever you want. You can go have dinner in the cafeteria, and come back when you feel like it,_ she replied. Her annoyance came through her hands as easily as it did through her expression. Sam pressed his lips together, looking down at Eden before he stood. He moved to give her back to Becca, but before she took her baby back, her hands flew in the air between them again. _Where are you going?_

 _To get your rations from the cafeteria. I’ll bring it back here for you,_ Sam replied. He was distant. Had been for weeks now, since a while before Eden was a born. It had gotten worse since Eden’s birth. She could feel his regret every time he left the hospital, every time he came back, every time he checked his phone. 

_You can leave, I understand,_ Becca signed with one hand, Eden cradled in the crook of her other arm. _I gave you a free pass. You should’ve taken it._ She hesitated, tears forming in her eyes, unable to quite meet his gaze before she continued. _You still can._

Sam touched her arm to get her attention, and she looked up to meet the sad, watery eyes of her best friend. _I don’t want a free pass. I don’t want to leave, but—_

When his fingers parted on the last word, her hand flew up to stop him, motioning furiously. _No. You do not get to do that. No but. You’re all in or you’re not. No halfway. I don’t get to do this halfway, so if you’re in, you can’t do it halfway either._ She laid Eden carefully on the bed beside her, not quite trusting how much her hands were shaking as she looked back up at Sam. She watched tears spill over onto his cheeks, and she hated it. She hated seeing him broken like this, but she felt broken too. 

_I am. You know I’m with you. I’m all in,_ Sam replied, but the hesitation was still there. The broken stare was still there. 

_But,_ Becca signed for him this time, eyebrows raised in a silent question for him to continue. He sat back down, fiddling with his hands for a moment before they started moving.

 _But,_ Sam began, his hands moving slowly, as if he was scared of her reaction the more he said. _I want to tell Grizz the truth about Eden, and us._

 _What?_ Becca was certain Sam had absolutely lost this mind this time. _We can’t tell anyone. They’ll start talking, everyone will be asking me who the father is. You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone._

 _I know, I know,_ Sam signed quickly. _That’s why I’m asking you. I wouldn’t tell him without asking you, but. Please, I want to tell him._

There was something desperate in his eyes that Becca couldn’t quite place. A look she doesn’t remember ever seeing on Sam’s face before. All she could ask was, _Why?_

 _Because I didn’t sleep through Thanksgiving,_ Sam signed, his eyes set on the bed, on Eden, unable to look Becca in the eyes. Something clicked, and Becca felt her entire body relax. She reached out to touch his arm, and tried to smile at him when he finally looked up at her. 

_You were with Grizz,_ Becca said. It wasn’t a question, but Sam nodded anyway. Becca looked down at the bed, at Eden, and reached out to brush a finger over her daughter’s cheek. When she yawned, her mouth was barely as wide as the tip of her finger. Eden’s face started to scrunch up and Becca scooped her back into her arms, leaning back against the bed as she rolled the new information through her mind. 

Sam touched her arm and she looked up at him. _I’m in this with you. All in. If I have to lose him, to be here for you, I will,_ he signed, though she could see the pain in his eyes, and the way his hands shook. _But I don’t want to._

She wanted to cry, and she had no idea why or for who. She felt like she was losing her best friend, but her best friend was losing something he thought he’d never have. Willing to give it up, for her. _He can’t tell anyone,_ she finally signed. 

A hesitant, hopeful smile stretched slowly across Sam’s face, and she couldn’t help but smile too. _He won’t._

 _Does he really care about you?_ She asked. The amount of clear dedication Sam already and to a boy that she didn’t even realize he knew very well was concerning, but Sam lit up at the question.

 _He found a book on BSL, and tried to teach himself how to sign,_ Sam responded, his movements more energetic and excited than they’d been only a minute ago. 

_But that’s not the same as ASL,_ Becca signed back, confused at Sam’s apparent amusement over the information. 

_I know,_ Sam responded, a sound close to a laugh echoing in the silence of the room. _But he tried. And aside from you, and my family, no one’s done that. No one’s tried to learn, just for me._ His hands dropped back to his lap, and he seemed to tense, waiting for her approval.

 _Ok,_ Becca finally responded, not able to contain a short laugh when Sam practically jumped out of the chair. _But text him. Tell him to come here, and we’ll tell him together. Ok?_

 _Ok,_ Sam signed quickly, before taking out his phone.

 _You don’t waste any time,_ Becca teased. He laughed and leaned down to kiss her on top of the head, ignoring the way she swatted at his chest. It only took another ten minutes or so, during which Becca grilled him for information he refused to offer about Grizz, before the man in question showed up. He hovered back in the doorway, his smile a little too force, and eyes filled with held back tears that Becca recognized from the last time they’d been here. Now she knew the reason for it. 

“You asked me to come?” Grizz asked, signing a bit clumsily as he spoke. 

“We have something to tell you,” Becca said. She was tired and had an arm wrapped around Eden, so she didn’t bother to sign as she spoke. Instead being sure to face Sam, even as he eyes looked to Grizz. She looked back to Sam and nodded for him to continue.

Sam seemed to hesitate, unsure what to say now that Grizz was here, no matter how excited he’d been to let the man in on their secret. Sam stood and took a couple steps towards him, and for a moment Grizz looked like he was torn between stepping closer or falling a few steps back. He stayed rooted to the spot, his eyes trained on Sam. “You can’t tell anyone, ok?” Sam asked, signing as he spoke barely above a whisper.

“Ok,” Grizz said, confused eyes flicking from Sam to Becca and back again. Sam still seemed to have trouble, so Becca leaned forward, trying to reach out and get his attention, but he was too far from the bed. Grizz tapped him on the shoulder and gestured back to Becca, and Sam turned to face her., She gave him a sad smile and looked up at Grizz. 

“Sam isn’t the father,” she said, signing with one hand as she said it. 

“What? But I thought, you said,” Grizz started, only signing a couple words of the broken sentence as he seemed to try and catch up. 

“I know,” Sam said, turning back to Grizz. He looked like he was signing more out of habit than any need to, his hands moving almost absentmindedly in the small space between the two boys. “She doesn’t want to tell anyone who the father is, so I offered to help her raise the baby. You can’t ask who it is, and you can’t tell anyone that I’m not the father.”

Grizz seemed to go through a hundred emotions at once, as his eyes flickered from Sam, to Becca, to Eden, and back again. He raised his hands slowly, then let them fall back to his sides. He opened his mouth, and closed it again. He repeated both at least twice in quick succession before he succeeded in forming any kind of thought. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because, I don’t want to lose you over this,” Sam said. Becca’s eyes dropped to Eden, watching her tiny movement as she slept. She felt like she was intruding, but she couldn’t exactly get up and go anywhere else at the moment. “I fucked up, and I’m sorry. We should’ve told you earlier. And this might be too much for you, but if I can, I want to keep both of you.” Becca looked up when Sam turned around to face her, a warm smile on his lips as his gaze dropped to Eden. “All three of you.” 

Grizz smiled a bit, hesitant, like he wasn’t sure he was supposed to be happy. That he could, but he met Becca’s eyes again and she smiled warmly at him. She could see it in the way he looked at Sam, in the hopeful look that took over his gaze as Sam explained. He did care about Sam, and that was enough for Becca to smile warmly at him, to nod her approval as Grizz turned back to Sam, reaching out to put a hand on his arm, and the pair came closer to the bed. 

“What’s her name?” Grizz asked gently, leaning down to look at her. Sam’s smile was as bright as the damn sun, and Becca wasn’t sure how she hadn’t seen it before. 

“Eden,” Becca answered. “It seemed fitting.”

“I’m glad it wasn’t a boy,” Sam said. “Then you would’ve wanted to name him Gareth, and,” he paused, making and weird face at Grizz, who only grinned at him in response. “Sorry, but no. That would’ve been weird.”

“Gareth is a good name,” Grizz said, the feigned offense in his tone even coming across through his hands. Sam only shook his head, and Becca laughed.

“Nope, I’m with Sam. Way too weird,” Becca agreed, earning a laugh from Grizz. Silence fell again in the room after a few minutes, and Grizz nodded towards the door. 

“I’ve got to take care of some things. But how about, I’ll make dinner, and you can both come over to mine tonight?”

“Do you even know how to cook?” Sam teased.

“I’ll have you know I’m at least mediocre,” Grizz replied, earning laughs from Becca and Sam. “Besides, I found a cookbook, and I’m a fast learner.” 

“As long as the cookbook is in the right language,” Becca teased, and Grizz looked at Sam with an expression of shock and amusement.

“Really? You told her that?” He asked.

Sam shrugged, smiling brightly before responding. “I tell her everything.”

“Everything?” Grizz asked, his lips curling into a slight smirk that made Becca wave her free hand to get both their attention.

“Conversation stopping, right here,” she said firmly. “There’s just some things I never need to know about my best friend’s love life.”

Grizz laughed, but held both hands up in defeat, and Becca considered that a good sign. He knew to fold when she told him to. He might just survive this insanity yet. He signed good bye and started to leave, when Sam grabbed his arm and stopped him by the door. He seemed to hesitate a little, and Becca didn’t want to eavesdrop—Okay, she kind of did. This was all new to her, and she was curious, and needed to make sure her best friend was being treated right.

“We’re okay, right?” Sam asked, his hands moving between them. 

She could see Grizz smile in return, reaching out for Sam’s hand before he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Sam’s. Her eyes dropped to Eden again, a small smile tugging at her lips. It didn’t seem like so long ago that Sam had told her he thought he’d never find this. 

“Yeah, we’re okay,” Grizz’s voice drifted over to her, and she could see his hands moving out fo the corner of her eye, but didn’t look up. “I’m sorry I freaked out before.”

“No,” Sam said quickly. His hands were moving more animatedly, more confidently a he spoke. “I would’ve freaked out too, if it had been reversed.” There was silence again, and the quiet sound of a kiss ending before Grizz spoke loud enough that Becca knew she was meant to hear it as well. 

“I’ll see you both tonight,” he said, pausing a moment when Becca caught his eye, his gaze dropping for a moment. “All three of you.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grizz doesn't do anything halfway. Also Luke is a good friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be a one-shot, but the first part got too long. Then it was only gonna be two chapters, but this part got too long. Now it's going to be three chapters, unless I get carried away again. (Also Lexie isn't evil. She's misguided, but she's not wrong about how the Guard treated her. She doesn't know why Allie 'arrested' Elle in secret. She's not evil, she's just doing the best she can with the limited information she has. Fight me.)

Grizz had no idea what he was supposed to be thinking or feeling at the moment. The guy he’d finally gotten up the nerve to talk to, to kiss, went from an asshole hiding the fact that he was a soon-to-be father, to just a good friend, supporting and protecting Becca when she had no one else. Grizz couldn’t exactly fault him for that, but he still needed a minute to wrap his head around it. 

He might have been lying when he made an excuse of having things to do so he could leave the hospital and give himself some space to process. But when he stepped back into his empty house, it didn’t feel like such a lie any more. He did have some things to do, he realized, as he looked around. It was quiet, without the chaos that some other homes had. As far as Grizz knew, Sam and Becca had been living with Allie, Will and the rest of the Guard before Becca had been relocated to the hospital. But she couldn’t stay there, and Grizz didn’t even want to think about the kind of havoc going on at Allie’s house now. Were Allie and Will on house arrest, or had the Guard taken them somewhere else? Would Sam and Becca even want to go back there, without all fo their friends in the house?

If he had taken five minutes to think about it, he probably would’ve decided that it was completely insane. But for the first time in a while, he didn’t stop to think about it. He just did what some part of him knew that he needed to. He left and went first to Allie’s, before being directed by Gordie to Campbell’s. Great. Just where he wanted to end up. 

“What do you want?” Jason answered the door when he knocked, blocking the doorway. 

“Is Luke here?” Grizz asked evenly.

“None of your business. You’re not one of us anymore,” Jason sneered at him. Grizz’s jaw clenched, and he looked around the man. Luke, Lexie and Campbell were standing in the kitchen, just visible behind him. He caught Luke’s eye, trying to gesture for him to call off the attack Guard, but Jason moved so he was blocking Grizz’s view.

“Let him in,” Campbell’s voice called out. He sounded almost giddy at the animosity. Jason didn’t look happy about it, but he stepped aside. When Grizz walked in, he realized Harry and Elle were also there, neither of them looking particularly comfortable with that fact.

“I just need Luke’s help with something,” Grizz said, pointedly keeping his gaze away from Campbell. He wasn’t here for a fight, not today. As much as he wanted to, as much as Campbell deserved to be fucking terrified for his life, the way he had terrified and tormented Sam for so many years, that wasn’t Grizz’s goal today. 

Luke was steadfastly ignoring his gaze as much as Grizz was avoiding Campbell’s. “Why?” Lexie asked. Grizz glanced up at her. She was putting on the confident voice, her arms crossed, though something about her looked uneasy. Her stance was defensive, her fingers clenched around her arm a bit too tightly, her lips pressed too tightly together. What the hell had happened while he was gone?

“The Garrisons had a baby, right? Like five or six months before all of this?” Grizz asked.

“Yeah, so?” Harry finally spoke up and Grizz turned his head a little towards the man. He was careful to keep Campbell and his disconcerting smirk in his peripheral vision. 

“I need Luke’s help getting some of the stuff for Becca,” Grizz explained. “She needs it, and I can’t move the crib and stuff by myself. Their house hasn’t really been touched, so it shouldn’t take too long to find what Becca needs.”

“We don’t ransack and take what we want anymore,” Campbell said, sounding far too happy as he shot down Grizz’s plan. “That was the first rule. Don’t you remember? If we take everything we want, we become animals.”

“No one else needs that stuff,” Grizz said firmly. “No one else that I’m aware of here is pregnant. Becca is the only one that needs it.”

“Why’re you so worried about Becca anyway?” Campbell asked. Grizz wanted nothing more than to punch that smirk off his face. 

“You can take it. Whatever you need for Becca and the baby,” Lexie cut in, clearly seeing that things weren’t going to stay civil if they continued like that. She looked and Luke and jerked her head towards the door. “Luke, help him?” Luke didn’t answer, but he stood and headed for the door, not bothering to wait for Grizz.

“Thank you,” Grizz said through gritted teeth. He didn’t even want to come here. He didn’t want them to think he was asking their damn permission. Yeah, he did need help moving some of the stuff, but Gordie could’ve helped him with that. He wanted answers. He wanted to talk to Luke and figure out what the fuck had happened while he was gone. 

“And hey, Grizz?” Lexie called out when Grizz started to turn away. He paused to look back at her, seeing something close to remorse on her features. “Tell Becca congratulations for me? And I hope she’s feeling alright.” Grizz just gave her a tight nod, shooting one last glare at Campbell, making the man’s smile widen a bit, before he turned to follow Luke. 

They got into Luke’s truck in silence, and Grizz managed to wait until they got to the Garrisons’ house before he rounded on the man. “What the fuck is going on?” He demanded, reaching over to grab Luke’s arm when he moved to get out of the truck. Luke glared at him, but there was less anger in his expression than there had been back at the house. He looked almost….disappointed. Either way, he jerked his arm away and got out of the truck. 

“Doesn’t fucking matter,” Luke snapped when Grizz fell in step beside him. “This is how it is now.” He kicked open the door, considerably easier than the first time they’d attempted the same feat. 

“This isn’t the end of this,” Grizz warned, before turning his attention to the house. “Where do you think the nursery is?”

“Hell if I know,” Luke said. He opened the closest door, only to find a closet, and started towards another. Based on the placement of it, Grizz expected that was probably a bathroom, so he headed down the hallway instead. The first door was a bedroom, but the second proved to be the gold mine he was looking for. 

“Found it,” he called over his shoulder. He started picking up the toys strewn around the floor, tossing them into what looked like a toy box in the corner. They could take that too, and let Becca decide which toys she wanted to give Eden. “So are you going to tell me anything else?” He asked without turning around. The footsteps behind him were enough to know Luke was close enough to hear him. 

It was silent for a few moments as Grizz finished with the toys and started opening dresser drawers. The Garrisons must’ve had a boy. Still, they didn’t have many options, so he hoped Becca liked blue and black. 

“You shouldn’t have left,” Luke finally broke the silence. Grizz turned to look at him. He wasn’t glaring anymore. There was no anger at all in his eyes. Only disappointment. Only remorse. “I’m glad you found fields and shit, but someone else should’ve gone. The rest of the Guard—Fuck, man. I was the only one that didn’t want this shit. You weren’t here, and I didn’t have a choice. What was I supposed to do?” 

“You had a choice,” Grizz said firmly. “I wouldn’t have given in to this shit. I wouldn’t have joined them to turn this into some fucking militant police state.”

“You think I don’t fucking know that?” Luke snapped at him. His voice cracked, and Grizz realized that the disappointment in his eyes wasn’t directed at Grizz. It was for himself. “Fuck,” Luke breathed out, turning and banging his fist into the doorframe. “Fuck.” He sighed and shook his head, stepping into the room and opening the closet, though it was clear he didn’t know what he was looking for. He was just looking to do something. 

“Find the smallest clothes you can. Not sure how old their baby was when this whole thing started. We need blankets too, and extra sheets for the crib,” Grizz offered. He watched Luke pull what looked like a large handbag from the top of the closet and start filling it with the blankets and sheets on the top shelf. Grizz went back to the drawer he was digging through, checking sizes of clothes to see if he could find anything for a newborn. 

“Allie was right,” Luke said as they worked. “You were right. This is why she wouldn’t let us run for mayor or council. Put the brute strength in charge of the politics too—It’s just a fucking nightmare ruled by iron fists.” 

“You should listen to me more often,” Grizz said. “Want to go check the kitchen? See if there’s any baby food, or bottles or anything useful?”

“Sure,” Luke said. He left the room, presumably for the kitchen, while Grizz started going through the drawers on the side of the changing table. He made a mental note to take that too. And the rocking chair. That might have to go in the living room. He didn’t think there was enough space in the bedroom for that as well as a crib, changing table and a bed for Becca. There was actually probably some precedent against a mother having her bed in the nursery with the baby, but space was limited, and he didn’t think she’d argue with being closer to her daughter, at least until they could figure out better arrangements. “Jackpot!” Luke announced as he came back into the room with a bright smile. 

“A trash bag?” Grizz asked, deadpan tone as he glanced at the white bag in his hands. 

“Hey, it works,” Luke said with a shrug. He opened the bag and started digging through the things he’d thrown into it. “I found bottles, and lots of little baby food pouches in the pantry. And this thing. What do you think it is?”

“I think it’s a pump for breast milk,” Grizz answered, barely managing not to laugh when Luke dropped it in horror. Grizz reached over to pick it up and put it back in the trash bag. “She’ll probably need this. I only found a few diapers in the drawers. There has to be more somewhere, right? Don’t babies go through a lot of them?”

Luke only shrugged. Once they’d collected what they could into bags and boxes, they searched the rest of the house, finally finding a large box of diapers in the garage. “Hey, I think I found some more stuff here,” Luke said, waving Grizz over. He had found a couple of large gifts bags hidden in the corner of the garage. All of the items were still wrapped in plastic or had the tags on them. 

“Looks like they didn’t get around to returning some of the baby shower gifts they didn’t want,” Grizz commented as the dug through the bags. A lot of it was clothes, either with ridiculous sayings on it, or clearly for a girl, maybe purchased before they had found out the gender of the baby. 

“Reusable cloth diapers? Gross,” Luke muttered, making a face at the plastic-wrapped cloths before holding them up to show Grizz.

“Gross, but will probably come in handy,” he commented, reaching out for them. “The shelves aren’t exactly going to get restocked any time soon. Reusable is going to save our asses.” 

Luke just scoffed and shook his head, picking up the gift bags and heading back inside. Grizz took the single box of diapers and followed him outside so they could start loading the truck. 

“Why’re you so pro-Becca-and-the-baby all of a sudden?” Luke asked. His tone made it clear that he had been wanting to ask since they got there. 

“What do you mean?” Grizz asked, not looking at him as they carried the boxes of clothes, blankets and toys out to load into the backseat of the truck. 

Luke didn’t say anything for a minute, until they’d shut the backdoor fo the truck and were back inside, looking at the crib as though willing it to load itself into the bed of the truck. “You’re not trying to get with Becca, are you?”

Grizz laughed, more shocked than anything at the guess. “No, I’m not,” he said, shaking his head. His smile faded a little as he glanced nervously towards Luke. He swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry, and looked back to the crib, before he spoke again. “I’m gay, Luke.”

Luke was silent for a moment too long, and Grizz could feel his best friend slipping away in the seconds that passed, until he man spoke again. “About fucking time,” Luke breathed out. Grizz’s head shot up and he just stared at Luke. The man laughed at the shocked expression on his face. “Honestly, I thought you were about to take this ‘playing it straight’ act all the way into playing house with Becca and her baby.” 

He laughed again, and Grizz couldn’t help but join in. Once he started laughing, really laughing like he hadn’t done in months, he found it difficult to stop. He was nearly gasping, trying to catch his breath by the time they both managed to stop laughing, still grinning at each other through the ridiculous moment. “You knew?”

“Of course I fucking knew,” Luke said. “How long have you known me?”

“Too damn long, clearly,” Grizz said with a smirk. 

“So what’s the real reason why you’re doing this for Becca?” Luke asked. “If we turn it this way, we might be able to get it out the door,” he added, holding his hands out about the same width of the crib, and turning as if miming carrying the crib. 

“It’s not fitting out the door,” Grizz said. “I think we’ll have to take it apart. And I’m not—I mean, I am doing it for Becca. She needs this stuff.”

“But?” Luke prompted. “What if we just knocked the doorframe down? Then it would fit.”

“We have to get it through the doorway in my house too, dumbass. And you’re not knocking the doorframe down in my house,” Grizz replied, carefully ignoring the first question. “We’ll have to take it apart and put it back together. I saw a toolbox in the garage.” He left the room before Luke could ask him anything else, but the man was clearly ready for an interrogation when he got back. 

“Sam, then?” Luke asked when Grizz got back. 

“What about Sam?” He asked, opening the toolbox and pulling out a couple of screwdrivers, handing one to Luke and getting started on one side of the crib. 

“What about Sam,” Luke repeated in a mocking tone. “You were so deep in your fucking closet that you went out of your way to avoid even making eye contact with the resident cute gay kid for years. And now that you’re out and proud, you’re putting a nursery in your house for his baby mama. And you expect me to think there’s nothing going on?”

“I don’t expect you to think anything. That would be giving you way too much credit,” Grizz shot back easily. He didn’t need to look up to see the look Luke was giving him. “Yeah, me and Sam are—I don’t know. Something. Maybe. And he’s a good friend, and refuses to just dip out on Becca and the kid, so yeah. I’m helping.” 

They worked in silence for about ten minutes, taking the crib apart and measuring the changing table to make sure it would fit through the door without having to come apart as well. 

“You’re sure about this, right?” Luke asked once they’d gotten the crib, changing table and rocking chair loaded into the bed of the truck. “Look, I’m glad you’re happy with Sam. I really am. I’m so fucking happy you’re finally out and comfortable with being you. But,” he hesitated a bit, and Grizz shifted uncomfortably. He knew where this was going, and he acted lying to Luke. But he had to. He’d promised Sam and Becca. “Are you sure you’re okay with, not just Sam, but Becca and Eden? Your boyfriend’s baby mama and his kid, living with you?”

It was the wrong moment to smile, but Grizz couldn’t help it. He hadn’t dared utter the word boyfriend. Sam hadn’t signed it. Or at least, not that Grizz had caught. He didn’t actually even know the sign for it. Hearing Luke say it though, made Grizz feel more certain about the whole thing. 

“You trust me, right?” Grizz asked. Luke sighed heavily, but gestured in a ‘obviously,’ kind of way. “Then just trust me. It’s fine. Better than fine, actually. It’s good.

Luke smiled in response. “Alright, man. Whatever you say.”

By the time they made it back to Grizz’s house, he was cursing under his breath. “We’ve only got a couple hours til they get here.”

“Wait, do they not know you’re doing this?” Luke asked.

“No, not really,” Grizz answered. Luke just laughed, and they started carrying things inside. “If we’re in some alternate reality, it’s ok to turn my parents’ room into a room for Becca and Eden, right?” Their parents weren’t coming back here. If anything, they would be leaving to go back to reality. Luke only shrugged, and they started rearranging some of the furniture, and taking others out, to make room for the crib and changing table. 

“So, are you gonna be Uncle Grizz, or the Other Dad?” Luke kept asking odd questions as they worked, mostly around the weird dynamics of whatever the fuck was going on.

“Don’t know,” Grizz answered, just as he had every other question. The truth was, he didn’t have a fucking clue. They hadn’t exactly worked that part out, and he hadn’t fully thought it through when he decided to invite Sam and Becca to move into the house. 

After about twenty minutes without questions, they were nearly done, and Grizz thought that would be the end of the interrogation. Until he heard a strange sound.

“Are you humming the Flintstones theme song?” Grizz asked, turning to look at Luke.

For his part, Luke just grinned brightly at the question, and proceeded to sing obnoxiously, “They’re a modern dark age family.” Grizz tried his best to look offended as he grabbed one of the bottles out of the trash bag and threw it at Luke’s head. Luke laughed, catching it and throwing it back at him. Grizz laughed as he caught it, rolling his eyes at Luke as he carried the bag into the kitchen and started clearing off a shelf for the baby bottles. 

He heard Luke laughing still as he came out into the kitchen. “Hey, let me know how things go with,” he broke off, waving vaguely towards the master bedroom. “Everything.”

“I will,” Grizz said. Luke’s hesitation was clear in his expression as he looked out the window back towards his truck. “In a couple days, I’ll come find you. We’ll figure this out, ok? I just need to make sure Sam and Becca are okay first. Then we’ll figure this out, and get our town back. Ok?”

Luke nodded, offering a tight smile. “Be careful, man.”

“You too,” Grizz answered. It was only when Luke left, and Grizz closed the cabinet that he remembered: he’d forgotten to make dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this! I thrive on comments. Also, unrelated, but I just found out that this show is the first thing Jack Mulhern (Grizz) has acted in? Damn. Boy's got some talent for just getting started.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grizz has a surprise for Sam and Becca.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! So this last chapter was a LONG time coming. I'm so sorry I didn't pot it sooner. I wrote some of it, but was having trouble getting into Sam's head, so I kept putting it off. I was rewatching Grizzam scenes last night and decided to finally finish this fic. I hope the writing tone didn't shift too much to make it seem off or anything. 
> 
> Also, I was rereading this, and was like, 'Wtf am I thinking? Who would actually do ALL THIS for a guy he's just slept with once then found out is pretending to be his best friend's baby daddy?' ....Then I remember that this dumbass tried to learn an entire fucking language to impress a guy he'd barely had half a conversation with. And who said, "I'm also preparing for when I get back," like this fucking lovesick idiot was already building the goddamn white picket fence and planning the fucking wedding before him and Sam even kissed. 
> 
> So yeah, this lovable idiot would absolutely go fucking all out.

Sam knew Becca wanted out of the hospital yesterday. But he didn’t. Outside of the hospital, things were falling apart, and as much as he tried to explain that to her, he didn’t think she quite understood. Allie and Will had been arrested, Harry and Lexie had decided themselves rulers of the town, with the Guard as their military enforcement, and Campbell lurking none-too-subtly in the background. Pulling the strings as he always did. 

_It’s safer to stay here,_ Sam signed. _I can get our rations, bring our stuff here. We can stay here in the hospital. No one will bother us here. Kelly and Gordie will come check on you, and make sure you and Eden are okay._

_I don’t want to stay here,_ Becca replied impatiently. _I want to go home._

_Home isn’t the same,_ Sam signed, offering a sad smile. _Allie and Will are gone. The Guard are gone._

As much as Sam was glad Grizz had come by, and that they were going to figure this out, he had to admit he was afraid to leave the hospital and rejoin the chaos. Did no one else realize what would happen now that Campbell was pulling the strings Or did they not even realize he was playing the puppet master now? Sam had warned them. he’d tried to warn Allie, the Guard, everyone. His brother was a psychopath, and now the entire town was his sandbox. 

_We don’t even have anything at home for the baby,_ Sam tried again.

_We don’t have anything here for her either,_ Becca started responding before his hands even stopped moving. He saw her eyes flicker to something behind him, and he turned to look. She was looking at the clock. _Can we leave now?_

_Are you that eager for Grizz’s cooking?_ Sam teased.

_I’ll happily risk food poisoning if it gets me out of this damn bed for an hour,_ Becca replied, making Sam’s lips curl up into a smile. 

_Wait here,_ Sam signed before getting up. He returned with a wheelchair he’d passed down the hallway a few times, and only smiled at Becca’s responding glare of annoyance. _What? You always have to leave the hospital in a wheelchair after giving birth. It’s the rule._

_Not anymore. We make our own rules, and I’m not getting in that damn thing,_ Becca signed back stubbornly. Sam sighed, but rushed forward when she tried to start moving around, Eden cradled in one arm as she tugged at the sheet with the other. Sam carefully scooped Eden out of her arms so she could move easier. As much as he was worried about her moving too quickly or getting hurt so soon after labor, she was smiling proudly when she was standing on her own two feet.

_Grizz said he’d come pick us up if we want him to,_ Sam signed with one hand. 

_How far is it?_ Becca asked.

_A couple of blocks,_ Sam responded. He saw how she quirked an eyebrow, an amused smirk on her lips at his immediate response. At the fact that he didn’t need to text Grizz for directions, because he’d already been there. He felt his skin flush red, but didn’t sign anything else, turning his attention instead to Eden, wriggling and shifting around inside the blanket burrito Becca had wrapped her in. 

He looked up when her hands started moving again. _Let’s just walk. It feels good to stand and stretch my legs._

Sam chewed his bottom lip for a second, but nodded. He would just keep an eye on her, and it really wasn’t that far. He pulled his phone out of his pocket with his free hand and texted Grizz, before falling in step beside Becca on their way out of the hospital.

——————————

_I can still ask Grizz to come pick us up,_ Sam signed. He was reaching out to take Eden from Becca before she could respond, but the stubborn girl just pulled the baby closer to her chest. Even so, she didn’t release her death grip on Sam’s arm to respond. She just shook her head. She was trying to hide her heavy breathing, but even without hearing it, Sam could see the strain and exhaustion in her face. We’re almost there.

Sam shifted around a little, prying her hand from his arm so he could wrap his arm around her waist, trying to offer more support. Her death grip turned to his other hand instead, and he was already fairly certain he wouldn’t have any feeling left in his fingers by the time they made it to Grizz’s house. It was less than a block, though. They could make it. 

They didn’t even make it to the door before it swung open and Grizz rushed out. “What are you doing? Why didn’t you text me? She can’t be walking this far.” Sam just watched his lips, barely catching the few words Grizz was able to sign. He wouldn’t have quite understood if he only relied on the boy’s signing anyway. You, why, text, walk and far didn’t give him enough context for what Grizz was actually asking. It made him smile in spite of the imperfect signing though. He was trying. And he had apparently been watching for them out the window. 

“She insisted,” Sam said. It felt a bit weird, having both his hands occupied and unable to sign as he spoke, but he was able to breathe a little easier when Grizz rushed around to Becca’s other side and helped to support her weight while they got her inside. 

Sam looked over Becca’s head at Grizz as they made their way inside, looking for some kind of guidance. 

“Rocking chair,” Sam read on Grizz’s lips, and turned to where Grizz was nodding. A rocking chair was sitting against the window. Sam didn’t remember seeing that last time he was here, but he didn’t question it. He let out a heavy breath when they finally got Becca settled into the rocking chair. Her eyes were closed, her chest moving in heavy breaths as she held Eden gently in her arms. 

“Where did you get the rocking chair?” Sam asked, his hands snow free to move, signing the question as he turned back to Grizz.

“The Garrison’s,” Grizz said, pausing as he slowly spelled out the family’s name. Sam couldn’t help smiling a little as he watched Grizz’s hands form unpracticed, but determined signs. “They had a baby before all of this,” he said, signing most of the sentence before he gestured vaguely around them at the end. 

“So you brought the rocking chair here?” Sam asked curiously. A sweet blush covered Grizz’s face a moment before Sam’s attention was taken by a hand waving from the kitchen.

“Isn’t he so sweet?” Kelly asked, exaggerating her words as she faced Sam. She beamed at him before looking at Grizz for a moment, then turning back to the pot on the stove.

“I thought Kelly should check on Becca and the baby,” Grizz said, his words so fast Sam almost didn’t catch it. “And I didn’t uh, have time to cook, so she offered to help.”

Grizz turned to look at Becca, so Sam did as well, though he missed whatever she had said to catch the other boy’s attention. “You left like four hours ago,” Becca said, signing with one hand. She was smiling though, teasing even if she looked as confused as Sam. 

_Yes,_ Grizz signed without bothering to speak. He looked uncertain, embarrassed even. He looked like….Like he’d looked just before he asked Sam how to sign 'kiss me.' 

“What is it?” Sam asked, his hands moving habitually along with his words. Grizz looked at him for a moment, offering a weak, nervous smile, before his eyes flicked back to Becca. 

“Can you stand?” He asked. “Just for a minute. I want to show you something.”

Becca looked back at Sam, eyebrows raising in a silent question. Sam only shrugged. 

“Yeah, Sam, can you hold Eden for me?” She said, and Sam stepped forward. Before he could take the baby though, Kelly was between them. She smiled brightly at Becca before turning and apologetic smile to Sam.

“I can take her. I want to check over her, then I can put her down for a nap. Is that okay?” 

Becca seemed more relieved than anything. Sam smiled. It only being the two of them had been taking a toll on his best friend. He was glad Kelly was here, and Grizz. It felt less like they were alone. 

“Yeah, thank you,” Sam said, reaching instead for Becca’s hands to pull her up. Grizz went to her other side without prompting, putting a hand on her back and let her lean against him a little as they walked. Sam couldn’t help smiling at them. He had to be there for Becca. That had never been a question. And he wanted to be there for Grizz. With Grizz. But he hadn’t realized how much he needed the both of them to just. Be. To get along and care for each other. Some small part of him knew they’d gotten close quickly and were willing to care for each other so much because they both cared about him, and maybe it was selfish, but he was glad for that. 

“What is all this?” Sam watched Becca’s words, watched her eyes widen. He hadn’t even been paying attention, but now he turned to look to the room Grizz had lead them to, and his eyes widened as well. 

The large bed that he assumed had belonged to Grizz’s parents was pushed to one side of the room, and the dresser tucked in a corner. The rest of the furniture was clearly new additions to the room. A crib was a few feet away from the bed, tucked against the opposite wall and offering only a small walkway between the two, that led to the bathroom. There was a changing table against the wall beside the door, various diapers and wipes and other things Sam wasn’t quite certain about stacked to the side of it. 

When Sam’s eyes moved back to Grizz, he only caught the tail end of what the boy was saying. “…to sit down.” Sam followed his lead, staying at Becca’s side as he walked towards the bed and Becca sat on the edge of it. Grizz immediately went over to the dresser, while Sam crouched down in front of Becca.

_Are you okay?_ Sam asked, watching her bewildered expression.

_What is going on?_ Becca asked, though she smiled as she looked over Sam’s shoulder. Sam turned to look as well, and saw Grizz holding up a tiny baby shirt.

“I wasn’t sure what would fit, I think the Garrison’s son was a few months older when everything happened, so they might be a little big,” Grizz said. “These might fit, I think they’re a bit smaller,” he added, as he pulled a little once out of the dresser instead. “Also it’s mostly boy’s clothes. I hope that’s okay.”

Sam’s cheeks hurt from smiling, and when he looked back at Becca, he could see tears in her eyes. “Yeah, it’s okay,” she said, signing as she spoke for Sam’s benefit. She turned her attention back to Sam, and signed the next part in silence. I like him. Keep him. Sam laughed, ducking his head for a moment before looking up at her shyly, already feeling the blush on his cheeks. This wasn’t real. This couldn’t be. Who would do something like this? Only yesterday he thought Grizz would never speak to him again. And now he was putting all of this together for Becca? 

“I’m going to check on Eden, and see if Kelly needs help finishing dinner,” Becca said, signing as she spoke, before pushing herself to her feet. She held her hands up when both boys started to reach for her. “I’m alright. I can walk a few feet into the next room without breaking.” 

Sam turned back to Grizz, not waiting until Becca was out of the room before his hands were moving. “This is amazing,” he said. “But why?”

Grizz smiled, and Sam’s eyes fell to the boy’s lips, not to watch for his words, but because he was biting his bottom lip. Sam’s eyes flicked back up to his eyes for a moment before Grizz answered him. “I wanted to surprise you,” he said. “Besides, Becca needs a place to go when she leaves the hospital. And Allie’s place isn’t exactly the best place to be right now.” A moment later, Grizz started speaking more quickly, and Sam only caught a few words. Move. You. Everything. Luke. Somewhere. 

“You’re talking too fast again,” Sam said, holding his hands up. The smile never fell from his lips, though he could see the nervousness in Grizz’s features. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Grizz said, his sign for the word almost seeming like an afterthought, which made Sam’s smile widen a little. He was still learning to sign, but the signs he knew well were starting to become habitual. He raised his hands up, his next words slower, his signs more purposeful. “I can move it if you want. Luke helped me move everything here. But we can move it somewhere else. Wherever you want.”

Sam took a couple steps forward, almost closing the distance between them. Only enough space between them that his hands could still move relatively freely. “You did all of this for Becca?” He asked.

_No,_ Grizz signed, his lips not moving. He was biting his lip again, a nervous smile pulling at his lips as his hands moved slowly. _For you._

Sam’s smile widened. Instead of answering, his hands moved up to Grizz’s neck, one clutching at the fabric of his shirt and pulling him down, Sam pressing up on his toes to meet him halfway for a kiss. He could feel the tension release from Grizz’s body as he kissed back. He felt hands on his waist, pulling him forward. He felt a shaky breath released against his lips when the kiss broke for barely a second before Grizz was kissing him again. 

When they broke apart again, Sam didn’t pull away, resting his head on grizz’s shoulder for a moment, smiling to himself, reveling in the feeling of Grizz’s arms around him, in the warmth of being pressed close. He didn’t think he would find this. Certainly not in New Ham. Not since everything. There was no possible way. And yet, here they were. 

“Just so we’re on the same page,” Sam said, finally pulling back so he could look at Grizz properly. One hand moved in habitual signs against his shoulder, though he knew Grizz couldn’t see it. “All of this, it’s not just because you want Becca and Eden to move in, right? I can move in too, right?”

The sight of Grizz laughing was beautiful. Sam wished he could hear that sound. It was like an ache in his chest. How lucky Becca was, everyone else who could hear that sound. Just the sight made Sam beam. He was certain he could just look at Grizz like that and be happy for the rest of his life. Nothing would match that. Nothing could come close.

“God, yes, please,” Grizz said, his smile wide and bright as he looked down at Sam. Sam pressed up on his toes to kiss Grizz again. He’d never get tired of that feeling. Of that bright smile. The look in his eyes. How he looked when he laughed. 

He had meant it when he told Becca that he didn’t think he’d find that. That even if there was a closeted gay boy in New Ham, that there was no one he’d want to be with. Because he didn’t think anyone would jump all in like Grizz had. And Sam wasn’t sure what he would do if Grizz wasn’t like this. If Grizz had been uncertain. Questioned himself and Sam. Questioned them. Sam had enough questions for both of them. He didn’t think anyone could care about the resident deaf, gay kid. Who wanted to put up with that? Who wanted to have to learn a new language to be able to communicate? 

But Grizz hadn’t questioned anything. He was so certain that it made Sam certain as well. He didn’t need to wonder and question if Grizz actually cared, or if he was only going along with this because Sam was the only out gay kid in New Ham. Grizz jumped first, and asked questions later. He made Sam want to jump too. Sam had been scared to admit what he wanted. To accept what he wanted. 

But Grizz wasn’t scared. He knew what he wanted. He gave Sam the courage to admit what he wanted too. And to admit that he could have it. He did have it. 

They’d figure out the rest of it later. They’d find a way to help Allie and Will, and get their town back. But for now, Sam just wanted to enjoy this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is definitely gonna be the end of this fic. I'm not gonna say I'll write more then end up putting it off for months again. I won't do that to y'all. Please leave me comments. Feel free to yell at me for taking too long. Hope it was worth the wait though.


End file.
